Chicken Hypnotism??

[julesapple]

Is it possible to hypnotise a chicken?

I cleaned out the henhouse today and, as part of the routine, I catch up all of the girls, one by one, and check them over. I pick them up the recommended way with my hand underneath and the middle finger between the legs.

DD helped catch Shirley Partridge as she's not keen on being caught. Instead of catching her the way I do, DD caught her and turned her onto her back, almost as if she were cradling a baby. We checked for mites, scale problems and all the usual things, and then stroked her for a bit. DD gently pulled her legs out straight and Shirley Partridge stayed like that whilst we stroked her.

When DD put her down, she seemed dazed and was staggering like a drunk! It was funny but worrying. I mentioned this to OH and said she was hypnotised.

I thought chook hypnotism was a myth?

Jules

[RedThorn]

Definitely possible and as a kid provided endless hours of fun!!!

1) Chase free range chicken around on a 2,5 acre plot! (at least 1/2hr to 1 hr before you actually manage to catch 1 )
2) find a patch of suitable dry soft sand/earth
3) Lay Chicken on ground in prone position with tip of beak touching the earth
4) start drawing a straight line away from just in front of the chickens beak for about 4 inches
5) in the mark on the ground draw the line back towards the beak and away again
6) Whilst drawing backwards and forwards, gently release chickens head.
7) quietly position yourself behind the chicken whilst still drawing the line
8) slowly lift your finger off the ground and back away slowly and quietly.

If done correctly, said chicken continues to stare at the line until something else catches her vision or you clap

EDIT : Oh then chase down the next chicken on said plot!!! and repeat!

[Bephlam]

Another method is to flip the chicken on to her back, tuck her beak down in to her chest and then gentle stroke with one finger from her breast bone down between her legs. Repeat until you feel her relax...then remove your hand and she'll lie there until you clap!

Funny!!

[RichmondHens]

Well guys (or ladies), I never knew you could hypnotise a chicken!!! Mine are all extremely handle-able, but that's because I continuously handle them from hatch, so they are used to it. Have never done what you have done before but it sounds fascinating!!

A vet friend of mine once said he could make a hen relax just by holding her upside down. I asked him to demonstrate, but the hen was NOT happy and certainly not relaxed. I asked him to release her.

[OllieMartin]

Enjoy

Hypnotised Animals

[julesapple]

A Thought....

......would this work to calm bullies or the bullied?

Jules

[MaureenHall]

I was fascinated by this idea, so when one of my girls didn't go to bed with all the others tonight, I picked her up and did the turning her on her back thing. She seemed to enjoy it but I wouldn't say she was exactly hypnotised, and as soon as I put her down she trotted off quite happily through the pop-hole and into bed

[di]

Didn't someone do this on telleh a while back???
Have vague memories...but too vague to remember what programme???

[Nicos]

Enjoy

Hypnotised Animals

Ha!..that was great to watch!!!..guess what I'll be doing with my chooks today!!!!

[bluemoon]

I've heard of this before and my mad mate keeps wanting to try it with mine, I'm equally determined that she's not going to....but I might have a go myself when she's not around. I thought it was a myth too.

[Flummery]

My chickens hypnotise me. One sat on my knee this afternoon as I was in their grassy patch on a garden chair having a read. She stood up, looked into my eyes - then lunged forward and pecked my necklace! The madam!

[Lemon]

WOW! Amaaaaaaaaaazing! Didn't know such a thing existed! Never heard of it either!

Loved the bit in vid when the 4 hypno'd chooks are lying on ground and one chook walks right through their line - you can imagine it saying "What the @@@@?!?!?!?!?!?"